Get on Top of Things

Image Source:  Unknown

As a woman who suffers from an intolerance to gluten and dairy products it is always a constant struggle to find snacks and quick meal fixes that I can eat on the go.  I am a lady who is always on the go and I tend to find it incredibly difficult and frustrating to not be able to just stop anywhere and pick up something quick and be good to go.

For me, picking a restaurant is a chore.  Many times I end up settling for something that my body can't properly digest simply because it is a quick and easy option.  This usually seems worth it in the first five minutes because I have filled my belly but shortly after my body takes a turn for the worst. 

Over the past year and a half I have come up with a few snacks that I can eat without setting my body into a whirlwind of unhappiness that I'd like to share with you:

- Fresh fruits chopped up (I am a sucker for sliced apples with peanut butter)
- Hard boiled eggs (Not for everyone I know, but for me they are quick to make and I can toss them in a zip lock bag and eat them on the go)
- Fresh sliced veggies (I am not a fan of plain veggies with no dip so I tend to make up a little dressing with olive oil and vinegar with salt and pepper and just lightly drizzle it on my veggies)
- Rice crackers (Plain or with a little hummus is delicious too!)
- And of course...water!!  (Drink it!!  Its good for you, makes you and your body feel better!)

The hardest part for me is to plan ahead and this is usually where I get into trouble.  If I have healthy food on me - I eat it.  But the second I get too busy and need a quick food fix I get stuck.  Because of my diet restrictions - I have to be careful where I go to pick up a meal because most restaurants do not carry foods that I can eat.  It's a pain in the butt but once you get into a habit of planning your meals for the week it definitely takes that stress off of your plate.

For me, I try to spend a few hours on Saturday morning or Sunday afternoon where I can cook up a few things and even bag some fresh veggies and fruits so during the work week mornings I can just grab a pre-packed bag of healthy treats!  How do you guys plan for healthy snacks during the week? 

 

Bruising is Beautiful

I’ve been on a mission this week. Working hard on the Aerial Fly Fitness hammock, took a private Aerial Hoop lesson with Brigitte, and just finished a Pole Fitness workshop with Amy Guion. All of this has resulted in…sore muscles (yay) and lots of strange bruises haha. I love it. I’m wearing them like badges of honor…they are my body’s way of instantly telling me “you’re working hard to learn new skills”. Do you have any strange bruises or funny stories about explaining to people why you are so banged-up? Share please!  

Feelin' the Love

Happy Valentine's Day!!

Today is the day to celebrate love! Whether you are celebrating with that someone special in your life, your dog, or the random stranger you run into at the grocery store, I hope your day is filled with happy feelings that warm your heart.

Most importantly, don't forget to love yourself today!  Here is a great quote for that thought:

'You can search throughout the entire universe for someone who is more deserving of your love and affection than you are yourself, and that person is not be found anywhere.  You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe deserve your love and affection.' - Buddha

So how are you going to treat yourself today?  Maybe you will decide to start taking care of your body with more exercise or better food choices?  Or perhaps you want to spend the day resting and relaxing?

The greatest gift I give myself is pole dancing; I love that it makes me feel strong, creative and free!  Before pole dancing I had a very low self-esteem and a poor body image. Pole dancing has completely changed the way I feel about myself... I now love myself! Now what's a better gift than that?!

How does pole dancing make you feel?

Photography by Holly Marquette

Carnival of Sex!

As Dawn posted yesterday, the University of Saskatchewan's Student's Union (USSU) hosted the Carnival of Sex on Saturday, February 9.  Dawn and her friend Jaylene gave out information to everyone interested in pole dancing, while Megan and I performed our pole routines.  We had such a great time!!  A very big thank you and congratulations to the USSU for putting on such a great event that promotes positive sexual health!

A few highlights of the evening:
- There were fantastic carnival games that we could play such as 'Pop My Cherry', 'Hit the Clit', and 'Cock Ring Toss'.
- Megan and I tried our hula hooping skills, which turned out to be quite hilarious (hip circles with a hula hoop is much different than pole dancing hip circles).  If I could capture our pictures below it would be something along the lines of 'THIS IS SO MUCH FUN!!'
- There was a game called 'Hit the Clit'.  I decided it was a great opportunity to reenact my birth.  I just knew I was born with false eyelashes and sparkles on my face!!

As a random side note, this blog is turning into a fantastic opportunity to post hilarious and embarrassing pictures of myself and my friends, which leads me to my next point... don't take yourself too seriously in life!  There is nothing better than being able to laugh at yourself!

 

Performance Videos from Carnival of Sex

The University of Saskatchewan Student’s Union (USSU) hosted a Carnival of Sex event on Sat Feb 9^th and it was so much fun. They had some awesome games to play, crazy prizes and lots of fabulous entertainment. ClubMynx was in house, spreading our love of pole fitness, and Brigitte & Megan performed two amazing carnival themed numbers. Check them out below! AMAZING!

Love is in the air

The week of Valentines tends to bring out a variety of emotions in people.  I like to think about Valentines the same way that I think about my life goals.  No matter where you are in your life - single, dating, married, divorced, whatever the case may be - celebrate it.  Be proud of yourself and your relationships.  You may have spent months growing as a person, mending a broken heart, having fun with your single gal pals, spending endless moments of falling in love, maybe even rekindling a love you thought was lost.  Whatever the reason - celebrate it and be proud of what got you to this point. 

 Photo Credit:  Le Love Blog 

I think about my goals in the same way.  Whether you make big strides in the day to reach your goals or maybe just baby steps - it doesn't matter as long as you are moving forwards.  It's important to find a way to be proud of ourselves, what we have accomplished and what we are working to accomplish.  Every step of the way has been a big one.  We are our biggest cheerleaders so don't be shy - give yourself a self high five and take this moment as a time to celebrate yourself and all that you have accomplished and all that you are going to accomplish.

Happy week of looooovvveeeee!

 

r + r ?

Photo Credit:  A Piece of Toast Blog

Funny how at the start of the week I said I needed to schedule in a little r + r into this weeks schedule... only to catch a cold that knocked me on my butt.  You can fight it all you want but when the body says 'rest up' you better listen.

Instead of a productive weekend of hitting the market and getting in some pole practice I will be nursing a runny nose, cuddled up with blankets, and eating a bunch of popsicles until I turn into one (whether its true or not, when I am sick I turn into the 5 year old Ashlyn who believes eating a popsicle will make my sore throat go away!)

But don't you fret - I will still truck through my 100 squats a day!  Cabo - here comes the bootylicious popsicle girl from Saskatoon!

Happy Weekend readers!  I hope you stay healthy & well rested!